1874 ] -^4:0 [Delmar. 



The tot il number and kinds of machines now in use for the purjiose of 

 irrigation will be shown further on. 



The Nile usually rises late in ]May. In August it reaches such a height 

 that the canals are opened, the entire valley is soaked and the reservoirs 

 are filled with water. It continues to rise until October, and then falls so 

 rapidly that, in some parts, pumping and baling commence in November 

 or December ; though, in others, not until February, when they continue 

 until May or June. 



FERTILI2.ERS. 



As a general thing no fertilizers are employed; the depos-its of mud left 

 by the river during its overflow being the main dependence of the hus- 

 bandman in this respect. An analysis of this mud gives the following 

 results : silica 53.04 ; sesquioxide of iron 18.43 ; sesquioxide of alumina 

 8.76; carboaate of lime 4.19 ; sulphate of lime 0,75 ; lime 2.25 ; magnesia 

 0.66; potassaO.69^ soda 2.16 ; chloride of sodium 0.04; organic matter 

 9.03 ; total 100 per cent. Owing to the extreme scarcity of trees and en- 

 tire absence of coal, fuel, for all purposes, is exceedingly dear. For this 

 reason animal manure, and during the cotton excitement 1862-1867, even 

 cotton-seed, the price of which had at former periods exceeded that of 

 wheat, were used for fuel ; and the former continues to be thus employed 

 yet. Cotton-seed, however, degenerates so rapidly in Egypt that, except 

 for this purpose, or the superior ones of extracting oil from it or using it 

 for cattle fodder, it possesses little value there, unless it is freshly im- 

 ported from other countries. The Khedive has promised a large pecu- 

 niary reward and the title of Bey to whomsoever shall discover paying 

 dejjosits of coal in Egypt. 



On the sugar estates the culture exhausts the earth so rapidly that 

 pigeon-guano is largely used to enrich it ; about half a ton being em- 

 ployed to the acre of land. In order to obtain this fertilizer the keeping 

 of a flock of pigeons is part of the fellah's duties to the state. The birds 

 are simply provided with the shelter of a mud-cote and left at liberty to 

 provide their own sustenance. This, of course, is derived, one way or 

 another, from the fellah's corn-field, and in this way the birds constitute 

 an additional agency of taxation upon the wretched peasant. About 267,- 

 000 tons of this guano are now annually produced in Egypt. 



In justice to the Egyptian system of agriculture, it should be stated 

 that there is a certain rotation of crops observed, but unlike any other 

 system known, except that of the despotic President Lopez, who runs a 

 government in South America which is somewhat ironically styled the 

 "republic" of Paraguay, the order of that rotation is governed altogether 

 by the will or caprice of the Khedive. Rice and maize used to be largely 

 cultivated in Egypt ; but the government ordered wheat to be planted in 

 their stead and the latter became the principal exporting crop. It was 

 grown one year after another, until nature gave out and the grain grew 

 so poor that it could scarcely find a market. That exported to England 



